Star Top Has New Tricks And Treats

For most people, Halloween qualifies as a minor holiday. But there are people who take it very seriously, dress in costume and go out with an attitude that may be cheery, but also a touch macabre.

These people need a place to go, and many of them choose restaurants. But, of course, not every restaurant will do. This is not to say that Chicago eateries are not dressing up in costumes and playing make-believe. Of course they are. But every so often you run across a restaurant that has a peculiar streak that is authentic and profound and makes the place not at all unpleasant to dine in.

One of these is the new Star Top Cafe, 2748 N. Lincoln Ave. You may have been to the Star Top, for it has been open for 2 1/2 years and gained notoriety because it was owned by a pair of ex-employees from Printer`s Row. The ambiance had classical touches--subdued and staid--and its food attracted many of the city`s serious diners.

But it has changed, and it has changed so radically that you might believe it is a culinary version of trick-or-treat, whipped up especially for Hallow`s Eve . . . except that the changes are permanent. The costumery comes out of a desire by the owners ``to let our personality come through.`` For the moment, suffice it to say that the waiters and the walls have strong New Wave tendencies.

Keep in mind that though the place has turned into something unique and strange, the food is still on the serious side. New chef (and also new partner) Michael Short has worked for most of the last decade in New York City. Some recent entree selections at Star Top have included roasted breast of chicken with fresh rosemary dijonaise, and bluefish sautee with mussels, tomatoes, white wine and thyme (both are $10). It should satisfy many well-bred diners.

Those who knew the old Star Top will notice that ``Michael uses flavors that are much more intense,`` says Theresa Taylor, another partner who is married to one of Star Top`s founders, Bill Ammons. Sauces with thyme, sassafras, hot peppers and exotic liqueurs are replacing more conventional flavors that were common here before. The menu appetizers and entrees will change every week. A wine list has a selection of American, Italian and French, with prices mostly between $10 and $20.

But, as we said, it is not the food that is different, it is the look. It startles in a way that Johnny Rotten or Jim McMahon might work at in getting people`s attention. Art is on the wall, and it is not the Altman and Kipness prints that might have gone well in Star Top before. Some of the paintings are by Taylor, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute; she describes it as ``van art,`` or stylized versions of the kind of commerical images that might be found on the side of vans--yes, vans on the road.

Other paintings are by the dishwasher, a young artist named Paul Gilbert. Taylor describes them as being ``imagist, but he is strongly influenced by comic book art.`` This would be Zap comics, and the subjects are not the kind of things that ought to be described in a family newspaper.

If this sounds like weird decor, it goes beyond that. It is an attitude that, it must be repeated, is not disagreeable. Taylor herself has an artistic, exotic look (she has jet black hair and ivory skin) as she waits on tables. Her husband, who looks good in clashing tweeds, has a will o` the wisp look himself. Chef Michael wears tennis shorts and is apt to bolt through the dining room to play ``Wooly Bully`` on the new jukebox.

So Halloween ought to be interesting. They are having a party with some friendly regulars, local arts types who promise to dress in ``a lot of diabolical stuff,`` says Short. The kitchen will be serving until 5 a.m., as it does every night. Those not in costume will be comfortable there, too. It seems that the times are such that the weird and mainstream are not frightening each other anymore.

For diners with a slightly more conventional approach, another restaurant comes to mind. The Ragin` Cajun, at 3048 W. Diversey Ave., is hard to find (in an un-food-conscious part of the Northwest Side) but worth the trouble if you are looking for an authentic time warp. The inside, not the outside, has the feel of ancient New Orleans.

New Orleans, often a bit fey, can be downright spooky with images of old Victorian bordellos. The Ragin` Cajun has that feel, not done in the manner of a stage setting, but more believable.

Owner-chef Harvey Durrson makes the food interesting by changing his menu from time to time. Recent additions are poulet, which is chicken stuffed with crab, snails and oysters. Shrimp cardinale is stewed with onions, celery, cream and a little cognac.

The nice thing about this place is that while Cajun food is getting a bit hackneyed, the Ragin` Cajun keeps it in a netherworld. Though it is not the kind of place that would organize a full-blown promotion for Halloween, Durrson says that he is going to buy a drink for anyone who wears a mask.

-- A Halloween gala is being put on at Halsted Street Fishmarket, 2048 N. Halsted St., with complimentary witch`s brew (made with rum, gin, brandy, triple sec and fruit juices) and a fortuneteller. Diners can come in costumes, and prizes of a free lunch certificate, wine, cookbooks and other things will be given each hour for particularly scary get-ups.